For the rest of the night, I spent letting my arm heal and planning for any next Enforcer appearances, deciding it was time to show a little more wit, none of them would take me by surprise again. Little did I know that they were already planning for the next robbery, the biggest one. I was glued to the news for the rest of the next day, it was a good time to spend with Aunt May. She handed me the envelope with Frederick's money, and said the van was gone. I told her to keep it well hidden, for now, and she didn't question it. Said I was leaving early to clear my head, and started my Spider-Man round early. After a few minor crimes, in the late afternoon what I was preparing for, but not exactly what I was expecting, happened.
As the skies darkened, I followed a group of vehicles rushing towards the central bank, and there I saw it. All three, Ricochet, Ox and Montana. I would have to find a way to stop the three if I wanted to stand a chance, but they weren't alone, the man in the metal tragedy mask and hat was driving the van that brought them in... A very familiar van, despite having no plate. He left with only a pistol, but apparently, he ordered the other three, their Big Man. I didn't waste any more time, I dove towards the man in the hat, since he was the most vulnerable and the leader, but I had to dodge Montana's lasso by an inch, which made me land on top of their van. The four looked at me, clearly angry.
- Look, the whole gangs gathered here! — I said.
- Finish him off! — Big Man's gruff voice rang out, and he ran into the bank, which was already empty after his henchmen took care of security.
Ricochet did a somersault and used the power of the suit's arms again to propel himself upward. He was diving towards me with his foot, and again I narrowly dodged, and the part where he landed dented the roof of the van. “Our escape, Da- I mean Ricochet!” Montana said, and the man in front of me got up, and got into position.
- You don't have the swing of the streets, Spider. I was raised in Brooklyn!
- And me in Queens!
He advanced towards me once more. I tried to land a right hand on him, but he caught it, so I tried the same with my other hand, and not only did he catch it, but he used momentum and threw me off the roof of the van. I managed to land well, but soon Ox was coming towards me, each step a tremor in the whole street, and he ran very fast for someone his height. It was then that I started to put my plan into practice. I ran towards him too, and we approached each other quickly. I tried to jump over him, but just as I tried to do that, he grabbed my feet and hit me against the floor. There was no time to lose, when he was going to give me a finishing punch, I did what I wanted, I threw my webs in his face, which allowed me to dodge the attack, opening an even bigger crater than my body had made. Before Montana and Ricochet could get close, I smeared an extra layer of web over his eyes, just to make sure he wouldn't pull it off so easily.
The brute was quite angry, as I expected. This time it was Montana who started to follow me, and I started to swing before he could swoop in. The web idea was good the first time, but obstacles don't work with it, so the trick was to disarm it. I started looking for the tallest building in the vicinity, and when I found it, I prepared two webs to slingshot myself again, this time as high as I could. I hooked both at the top and stretched them out as far as I could before he got too close, and when he did, I threw myself high in the air, and sure enough, he followed. It was then that I free-falled towards him, hoping for the best, and then, when he lassoed me, my speed was too great, and he ended up being pulled out of his little horse. As we quickly approached the ground, I started yelling at Ox.
- Hey, circus clown, come get me!
- What?! — He yelled back, pushing Ricochet, who was trying to help get my webs out of his face, away from him.
He started running towards me blindly, so hoping my calculations were correct, I shoot my web, even tied up, on the nearest building and swung like a pendulum, with Montana in the direction of the impact of his super strong friend. Of course he noticed, and his only chance of survival was to let go of my lasso and defend himself with his arm armor. Look, I know he survived, but I don't know how, because the collision he had with Montana threw him away, the device arm completely shattered. I landed softly and freed myself from the noose, but from behind came a flying Ricochet, who threw me into an alley. I threw myself onto a warehouse not far away, and he followed. I swung myself around him again, but this time, it was to flip him over myself, knocking him into the warehouse.
That didn't stop him too much, he made a maneuver, which I imagine was capoeira, and landed easily, but he didn't count on one thing. When he looked for me, I was on the roof of the warehouse. He tried to climb over the crates and leap towards me, but he wasn't even close.
- Ah… You don't climb walls like a Spider?
- Get down here! — He screamed.
Only I didn't obey him, and I started releasing webs, which he thought were meant to hit him, but with each web he dodged, my big, tangled net formed around him, until, when he noticed, it was too late, I just dropped one more under his arms, and soon he was completely still, trapped in my hammock. He yelled something like "You shall pay for this, Spider-Man!" but I didn't hear it. Tying the big one up took work, but it wasn't difficult, he was blindfolded after all. The only thing missing was Big Man, when I arrived at the entrance to the bank, he was packing the last bag of money, and when he saw me, he started running to the car seat, I shoot a web that grabbed his mask, but when I I took it out, it was all very fast, he pulled out a machine gun and fired in my direction. There were still some civilians in my direction, so I ran to save them from the machine gun. None died, but a woman grazed a bullet, so I had to rush her to the hospital while he got away.
But it wasn't the last time I saw him. The other day at the Bugle, I was talking to Jameson in his new finished room about what "Peter Parker" had seen of the conflict when Frederick Foswell entered the room, quiet, but we stopped talking when we saw him enter, we left he said what he had to say.
- Foswell… — Jameson almost growled.
- Hello. I came here to present my last report.
- Oh, really? — He made that face like he could punch someone.
- Yes. I have information on the Enforcers' hideout! It is…
- Parker already told me about this — He pointed at me — Along with a few other things.
- What things?
- Here — He handed one of my pictures to Foswell — Is this van familiar to you?
- No…
- Well, you should — I said, getting up from the chair — It's your van.
- Why, Mr. Parker, how absurd! — He started to laugh, but nervously.
- No, it's not. I've been fixing this van for the last three days. See here? It may have no license plate, but that oil stain I made myself, after your hideous piston squirted on me, I didn't get a chance to tell you about it before you ran off with it.
- … Jonah, please, he's just an amateur photographer!
- I was thinking the same — Jameson stood up, picking up a paper from the table — Until he showed me something he brought before you. A portrait drawn by the Enforcers' description of who their "Big Man" was. It’s you!
Jameson showed the portrait, a drawing not quite the same, but strikingly similar to Foswell, enough to raise the ire of New York's toughest editor in chief. The cops were approaching Jameson's office when he punched Frederick in the face. I screamed and clapped my hands, and he smiled at me. The cops came in and lifted the Foswell.
- Frederick Foswell, you are under arrest on charges of assault and premeditated terrorist attack. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court!
- Cops, that's his, it must have his hair in there for a DNA test or something — I handed him the Big Man mask, and he looked at me in astonishment.
- How do you have it?! — He yelled, glaring at me with hate.
- Was that a confession?! — Jonah shouted back.
- I know Spider-Man. I take pictures of him, remember? — And I winked at the cops, who grabbed the mask and took him away.
- You will rot in prison for using my newspaper! — He put a hand on my shoulder— Son… You would make a great photojournalist. Sure, you don't want to pursue a career?
- No, Mr. Jameson, my passion is the sciences. About the check...
- Oh yes, you deserve it, Parker! — He sat down at his desk again and picked up the receipt — $500 well paid!
- $800, I'm charging for the photos too — He looked at me a little annoyed, but then he smiled and said.
- All good. I know you're after an apartment. Here. Oh and tell Robbie or Hoffman to change the Baxter Building Opening headline to your exclusive. Now get out of here, boy — He finished, joking, and still smiling at me.
When I left Jameson's office with the check and the headline, Betty, Robbie, Hoffman and all the other Bugle employees stood up and started clapping for me. I think that was the first time I really felt like I was a part of the Bugle, that I finally became part of their family.
“The Big Man Unmasked - Corruption Within Bugle Revealed by Brave Editor-in-Chief” read the headline in the latest issue of Bugle, “Quest Aerospace Investigated for Connections to Ultra Terrorist Green Goblin Technology. Probable declaration of bankruptcy in the future” was read at the bottom, the edition was on the table in the apartment. My move lasted almost a whole day, but I finally got to meet Mr. Ditkovich in person. I think his daughter, Úrsula, was hitting on me at some point, but I honestly didn't even notice. We were in what would be my new house, all furnished and set up for my arrival, talking.
- And what do you even do? — He asked with that thick accent of his.
- I study and work. I was in need of a place after my friend could no longer share an apartment with me.
- I understand. Having friends is very exhausting. The only friend I managed to have was Úrsula's mother, and she is no longer here to accompany me.
- Wow, I’m sorry Mr. Dit...
- Now I call the people from the bar to play cards with me — The sound of the moving truck's horn beeped — They finally arrived, wow!
- Don't even tell me, I didn't have much money left for a carrier. If you'll excuse me, I have to unload and…
- What? After packing everything into this incompetent truck all day only to arrive now? No, Úrsula and I will help you.
- It is not necessary…
- I insist! Ursula! — She appeared in the doorway, waving — Start bringing Mr. Parker's belongings, we'll help you right away.
- Wow, thanks — I waved goodbye back to Úrsula, before she left.
- You know, Peter, the problem is that people don't help each other much in this town. What do you think about breaking that custom, huh?
- I agree.
- Very good. Rent at the end of the month.
- Rent? But I didn't pay the first three months?
- Yes, guarantee, I've had many deadbeats in my time. Let's go?
We went downstairs and finished my change. Later, Aunt May and Mary Jane would come over for us to spend time together, a celebration. But the celebration wouldn't be complete without Harry. So, I called his house, hoping to get through to him.
- Osborn residence — A gentleman's voice said.
- Hi, Bernard, it's Peter.
- Mister Parker! It's great to hear your voice. How can I be of help?
- I… Can I speak to Harry?
- Master Harry is not even willing to talk to me properly, Peter. What did you want to say to him?
- Can you pass the message to him?
- Of Course.
- Tell him that... I miss him a lot. That I know he's a little mad at me for taking pictures of Spider-Man and not doing anything. I just want… Him to show up for my new apartment opening, that I don't feel angry about him not sharing his old one with me, that I understand the pain he's feeling… It's not easy to lose someone you love so suddenly. Maybe I can brighten his life by sharing a little of my happiness.
- That was very touching, Mr. Parker… Thank you, I will pass on your message to him.
- Bye, Bernard.
What I didn't know at the time is that Harry listened to the entire conversation on speakerphone after he realized I was the one who called. Later, the girls arrived with Pizza and Aunt May's Peach Pie. We chatted for a while, opened some champagne.
- It's very… Spacious place, isn't it Peter? — Aunt May said.
- And yes. It's not much, but...
- It's home — Completed Mary Jane, showing that beautiful smile of hers — I know how it is. My home isn't much different, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
- Ben and I also started out in a small apartment like this… — Aunt May looked a little sad, I walked over to her and took her hand — Don't mind me Peter, we can't celebrate with all the people we love, but that doesn't mean we should stop celebrating, because they would want us to be happy even without them. Your Uncle Ben would be so proud.
- I… I called Harry's house. He didn't show up until now, I wish he was here.
- Peter! — Mr Ditkovich shouted from afar— There are more visits for you!
I approached the door and opened it. There was Harry, smiling at me. I gave him a hug, and he returned it, starting to cry. I couldn't hold back the tears either. Mary Jane and May approached, and also hugged him.
- I hope I wasn't late! — he joked.
- It's great to have you here, Harry — I put my hand on his shoulder.
- I missed you too — he looked around — What a cozy little place, huh!
We laughed and spent the rest of the night talking. Sometimes the risk of earnesty, honesty, and truth may seem too great, but it's up to us to find out how much it weighs, because it's our responsibility. I live by those words the same way I live by the words of Uncle Ben, and I find that every now and then, the payoff comes, that however much we don't do it for the glory or the money, sometimes... We get it back. At least for today, this is my blessing, this is my life. Who I am?
I am Spider-Man.
Comments (0)
See all